Mail-bag hanger



(No ModeL) I J. A. BBANIPF. MAIL BAG HANGER.

Patented Dec. 25, 1894.

ii -N TEI STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. B RANIFF, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

MAIL-BAG HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,360, dated December 25, 1894.

Application filed March 20, 1894. Serial No. 504,471. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. BRANIFF, of

' Kansas City, J ackson county, Missouri, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Hangers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,

' reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to mail bag hangers, and has for its object to produce a device of this character which will reliably support a mail-bag in operative position, and which will automatically release the said bag when it is grasped or caught by a suitable device projecting from and carried by a passing train. Furthermore, to produce a device of this character'which is simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive of construction.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certainpeculiar and novel features of construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully,

understood, reference is to behad to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. represents a side elevation of a crane, and showing a device constructed in .accordance with my invention supporting a pivoted upon the upper end of the standard 1, and extends at right-angles to the direction of the railroad, and projecting horizontally outward from the standard 1, to which it is hinged a suitable distance below the topbar 3, is the arm 5; said arm projecting also at rightangles to the railroad and vertically beneath the top-bar 3. A hook 6, has its stem projecting vertically upward through the top-bar 3, near its outer end, and a nut 7, engaging the upper threaded end of said hook, supports it in such position. v A hook 8, has its stem projecting vertically downward through the arm 5, and has its lower end engaged by a retaining-nut 9; said hook 8 being located vertically below the hook 6,

preferably.

The fastener, proper, comprises a casting, a spring, and a set-screw, and the casting consists of a vertical stem 10, and the integral-curved portion '11, the free end 12, of

which, isapproximately in vertical align-- 11 of the casting, and this arm is provided with a vertical or approximately vertical opening 14:, the side-Walls of which are inclined, for a purpose hereinafter explained. A spring 15, projecting through said opening, is provided with a head 16 at its end, whichpreventsthe spring from being passed entirely through said opening 14:, and this spring is secured at any desired point of adjustment in said opening'by means of the set-screw 17, which passes through the arm 13 and impinges thereon. The stem 10, is provided with a hole or aperture 18, near its upper end. i

In practical operation, two of these fasteners are employed to support the mail-bag in position, one being pendently supported by the hook 6, which engages the hole or aperture 18, and the other projecting verti-. cally upward, and having the hook 8 engaging the opening in the'stem thereof near its lower end. A mail-bag 19, which may be of any suitable or preferred construction, has the ring 20 at its upper end engaging the space formed by the concave side of the curved portion 1i, and the spring 15, of the corresponding fastener, has its lower ring 21 engaging the space or opening formed by the concave side of the curved portion 11, and the spring 15, of the corresponding or lower fastener. the springs 15 being very strong and not yielding to-an ordinary force, it is necessary to loosen the set-screw and slide the spring upward, or, after the set-screw is loosened, the spring may be pivotallyoperated as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, so that the ring may be arranged in the required position. The spring is then slipped or pivotally operated To secure these rings in position,

back to its original position, and so that the ring will be secured in the space or opening formed by said spring and the curved arm of the fastener, as described. When the device projecting from the train catches the bag 19, the force with which it is applied is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the springs 15, which yield or spring outward sufficiently to allow the rings 20 and 21 to become disengaged therefrom, and the manner of pivotally supporting the top-bar 3, and the arm 5, allows them to spring out of position when not in the act of supporting the mail-bag. It will be apparent that by forming the passage 14 with inclined side-walls the spring may be vertically adjusted to lengthen or shorten the space between the said spring and the concave side of the curved arm 11, to allow the lower end of the spring always to bear against the adjacent and opposing side of said arm; said spring bearing at its inner side and near its upper end,against the upper end of the corresponding or inner side-wall of said opening.

From the above description, it will be seen that I have produced a mail-bag fastener, which is positive and reliable in operation, and which is simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive of construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mail-bag supporting device, comprising a casting having a curved portion, an arm projecting from said casting at the concaved side of the curved portion, a spring extending through and adjustably carried by said arm, and bearing at its lower end against said casting so as to form an opening to receive the ring of a mail-bag, and means to secure said spring at any desired point of its adjustment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A mail-bag fastener, comprising a casting having a curved portion, an arm projecting from said casting, and having a vertical aperture having inclined side-walls, a spring passing vertically through said aperture and having a head, a set-screw passing through said arm and engaging said spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mail-bag hanger, the combination with a supporting crane, and hooks carried vertically thereby, of a pair of fasteners, comprising stem-portions engaging said hooks and terminating in curved portions, arms projecting laterally from said stems and provided with apertures, springs extending through said apertures and hearing at one end against the said curved portions, and setscrcws carried operatively by said arms and impinging upon said springs, substantially as set forth,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BRANIFF.

Witnesses:

M. R. REMLEY, G. Y. THORPE. 

